All Cape Cook's Supply
Making the turn off Hyannis’ historic Main Street onto Pleasant Street can lighten anyone’s mood. It could mean lunch on the water, a fishing trip with friends or perhaps a quick ferry ride to one of the islands, but what we love most about that turn is knowing that a Hyannis landmark is still standing proud. All Cape Cook’s Supply has been a staple for restaurateurs, chefs, bakers, food fanatics, gadget freaks and kitchen zealots for decades, and now thanks to new owners Kimberly and Geoff Dunn, business is again rising like a well-timed souffle.
The Dunns bought the historic property in May from long-time owners Tom and Pam Cooney, and they’re adding their culinary talents to a tried and true business. Kim, who started baking for friends and family, went on to wow locals and tourists as the baker at Colombo’s and Black Cat Tavern (both in Hyannis). She is using her vast knowledge and passion, infused at an early age by her mother, Connie, to take their already-bursting- at the-seams inventory to a whole new level. The famous wall of cookie cutters remains, as does much of the feel of the All Cape Cook’s Supply we’ve grown to love, but Kim is adding more unusual and eclectic gift ideas. We spotted great party gifts like mermaid wine glasses, coffee cups that wake you up with a laugh, and zombie ice pop molds, as well as practical kitchen items in unique packaging like the Angry Mama microwave cleaner and the Chilly Mama fridge freshener.
The Nordic Ware baking and ChefWear lines have expanded, as has the lineup of heavier duty items like iron griddles, juice squeezers, electric soup kettles and wine racks. Kim is also putting more emphasis on international products. “The industry has really exploded,” she explains. “With do-it- yourself videos, cooking shows and online classes out there, people are getting more adventurous with what they make, as well as exploring more varying cultures.” She picks up a newly-stocked tajine as an example. Keeping things close to home as well, Kim is always looking for local products, like egg cartons for the backyard farmer, which are made by Cape Cod’s Wicked Sweet Designs and painted with various sayings.
On the other side of the kitchen is husband Geoff, whose passion for scratch cooking is also beefing up the inventory with items for the serious chef (sausage grinders) as well as the DIY-er (cheese-making equipment). Geoff ’s background as a professional chef is as long as the Main Street he now calls his second home, starting with running the kitchen in his Cummaquid neighborhood restaurant Harbor Point when he was only 18 years old. After graduation from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, he went on to sous chef at The Breakers in Palm Beach at age 21, before returning to the Cape to sous chef at Chillingsworth (when it was named one of the Top 50 restaurants in the country), and spending time in Boston working under Todd English at Olive’s and studying the techniques of Gordon Hamersley in the Hamersley’s Bistro kitchen.
So why a cook’s supply business and not another restaurant? A better work-life balance. “Knowing what restaurant life entails we wanted to be able to celebrate food, ingredients and scratch cooking, but also integrate a healthy home life,” Geoff tells us. Which means that if you’re a fan of the new direction that All Cape Cook’s Supply has gone in you can probably thank their eight-year- old son Sam. He put the punctuation on family time for the Dunns and seems to be showing an early interest in following in his parents’ footsteps. “The first time he ever had lasagna he helped us put it together,” the Dunns tell us. “We want to be the go-to kitchen place for everyone, including serious chefs as well as the up-and-coming ones!" Cheers to the Dunns and their newest culinary adventure.
All Cape Cook’s Supply, 237 Main Street, Hyannis 508-790-8908
